Minister for Industry Asta Laxmi Shakya on Sunday said that political stability will remain elusive unless the country sees massive expansion of economic activities.

She said this while speaking at the concluding function of the five-day long the 20th National Industrial Expo.

The event was organised by the Cottage and Small Industries Development Board (CSIDB) in conjunction with NTB (Nepal Tourism Board), FNCCI (Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and several other organizations.

Minister Shakya also stated that the government is serious to leverage the concept of public-private partnership (PPP) to conduct an industrial expo of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) level in the country.

She expressed commitment that the government is firmly determined to promote small and medium enterprises to ensure sustainable economic development of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Shyam Prasad Giri, Executive Director, CSIDB, stated the expo played pivotal role in enabling micro, cottage and small industries to promote their products at both national and international level.

“The event was also an ideal forum for these sorts of enterprises to expand their marketing channels, which can go a long way in enhancing competitive edge of domestic products,” he added.

Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, vice president, FNCCI, pointed out the need to make the upcoming episodes of industrial expo more wide and professional in order to ensure steady industrialisation of the country. Some 357 micro entrepreneurs from 71 districts took part in the expowith their locally produced goods.

The expo, which was visited by more than a hundred thousand people, featured 175 stalls in total. The five-day show saw a transaction of Rs 20 million.

The organisers also gave away 15 Excellent Entrepreneurship Awards to the best exhibitors.

The fair displayed products such as traditional handicraft products, wooden, metal and stone artworks, handmade paper, pashmina, agro and forest-based products, herbal products and goods. nepalnews.com Apr 26 09